Surprises
by Velkyn Karma
Summary: The Straw Hat Crew is full of unexpected surprises. Formerly a one-shot, now updating at the speed of inspiration. Third: It's Usopp's turn to learn a thing or two about his crew mate.
1. Nami

Surprises

A fanfiction by Velkyn Karma

Summary: Nami is shocked to find that no matter how well she thinks she knows her shipmates, they continue to surprise her. A little observation of her crewmates' serious ideals goes a long way in discovering who they are.

Note: Takes place at the very least after the Alabasta arc, but timing doesn't really matter that much I suppose. I have no idea where it came from, other than some thoughts on Sanji and a lot of boredom.

Disclaimer: I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.

* * *

Nami is shocked to find that no matter how well she thinks she knows her shipmates, they continue to surprise her. Even more unusual is that _Sanji_ continues to surprise her. Sanji is Sanji, after all; excitable and affectionate, he has always followed her around like a lovesick puppy and probably will continue to for all of time.

Nami doesn't know why she is surprised when he breaks away from this at the port they stopped at to replenish supplies, but somehow it does all the same. Sanji is heading to restock his kitchen, and Nami, to keep an eye on their expenses, follows--or perhaps it is the other way around. He fawns over her, and she ignores it, or uses it to her advantage.

Along the way, she manages to pick up that he is looking forward to another sort of purchase with his personal funds. The island is well known for its tailoring, making world-class clothing that is highly regarded everywhere in the world, and Sanji has been waiting to have a new suit tailored perfectly to his slim frame. It's all about making an impression, and Nami doesn't know if it's to impress her or Robin or someone else entirely. But she does know that Sanji takes impeccable care of his clothing, just like a high-class gourmet chef should, so she can tell he's looking forward to the purchase.

But they don't reach the clothing district; they barely even reach the market place to purchase the ship's food. Sanji is bumped aside by a little boy, and the same boy makes straight for her, or more specifically her bag. She grips it angrily, knowing a theft move when she sees one, and is determined to keep a hold of the purse with their beri and the lunchbox Sanji has made for today.

But the kid isn't put off by the iron grip she has on her bag. He merely tugs at it, more and more incessantly. When she doesn't give it up, he starts to cry, and plead, and tug even harder. "Please!" he says. "Please, you don't understand. I need it more than you. My sister is sick, and my father had to stop work to take care of her. He doesn't have a job now and we don't have money, and we have to eat, and I have to get it for them!"

Nami is disgusted, and wonders how the boy thinks she'll fall for such a lame trick so easily. She has used that same excuse herself on multiple occasions to worm her way into the hearts of the kind and the gullible, and steal their valuables from under their noses. There is no way she'll fall for that trick, even if the kid does look a little skinny. Probably helps with the disguise.

But Sanji is regarding the child very seriously, and frowns as the boy talks, and chews his cigarette thoughtfully. Then he kneels down, so he's eye level with the boy, and silently holds out his small pouch of personal cash.

Nami is shocked, and tries to interject, telling Sanji that he's being an idiot and he should stand right now. But while Sanji normally obeys every command she gives, her words fall on deaf ears now.

Instead, he looks the child in the eye, insistently holds out the pouch, and says, "There's enough in here to buy food for about two weeks. Do you know how to cook?"

"N-no," the boy says shakily. He looks hesitant, but is eyeing the pouch of beri with an almost nervous fervor.

"Alright," Sanji says, and his voice surprisingly patient. "What you should do is use this to buy some beef and root vegetables. That's things like carrots, onions, and potatoes. From what I've seen here, they're the cheapest. Clean them and cut them up into little pieces. Then boil some water in a pot and put your food in. If you have salt, you should add a sprinkle of it--not too much, just a pinch, don't overdo it. You should let it cook for at least two hours before you try eating it so that the meat is okay, but after that it should be fine, and the stew will last for a while. You can make that food stretch into a month if you're careful. It keeps its nutrients in the water, so it'll be very healthy for you and your family. Can you do that?"

"I...I think so," the boy says, hesitantly.

"Repeat it for me," Sanji says, his voice still surprisingly patient, in a tone that Nami doesn't think she's ever really heard from him before.

The boy does, and only then does Sanji release the pouch containing the entirety of his personal money, hard earned from previous adventures. The boy snatches it before it hits the ground, regards Sanji with wide-eyed awe and respect, and then whispers a quiet thank you before disappearing into the crowd.

Nami is shocked, and yells at their idiotic chef for falling for such a ploy. She curses his naivety and asks him how he plans to buy the suit he wanted when he is so easily conned out of his money. Sanji accepts the lecture without argument, as he always does, but when she is finished he does not disappear into the crowd to track the boy down and wrestle back his cash, nor does he apologize to her for his stupidity.

"You really believe it, don't you?" Nami finally says, shaking her head in exasperation.

"There's a desperation," he says in response. "You can always see it in the eyes; sometimes it's visible even before it shows on the rest of the body. It's a desperate willingness to do anything, _fight_ anything, and kill anyone in order to survive. Hunger does that to you."

His explanation is oddly calm, and there is a distant look in his one visible eye, one that makes her think perhaps this is a little more personal than simply cooking for half-starved pirates on the Baratie. She hesitates, not entirely sure what to make of this new Sanji, and says, "You think you saw that?"

"I know I saw that," he says, and strides off towards the closest stall to examine its produce for the ship's stores.

Nami is puzzled by this, and begins to wonder if it really was truth, and not a ploy. She knows that Sanji would never let anyone go hungry, not if he could do even the tiniest thing about it, because he considers it a chef's duty to combat hunger. Even with all his bickering and fighting on the _Going Merry_ with the other crew members, he never hesitates to provide meals and snacks that are both delicious _and_ healthy; and she supposes this would apply to everyone else as well. This is Sanji as well, a more serious side that doesn't often reveal itself, but it is just as much a core part of his being.

Later on, while he is bringing the newly purchased foodstuffs back to the _Going Merry_ to organize in his kitchen before they leave, Nami excuses herself and disappears into the town, searching carefully for exactly the right store. She returns uncharacteristically late, nearly a half hour after the log pose has reset and the crew is ready to leave.

As she scurries towards her cabin to claim her maps and instruments so they can begin, she hesitates only momentarily to shove a carefully bundled package into a fawning Sanji's hands. He is so enthusiastic about the gift it takes a well-aimed smack to bring him back to his senses enough to actually open it. Inside is a full navy-blue suit, in a shade Nami thinks will bring out his complexion nicely although she certainly doesn't tell _him_ that, with a matching silk tie folded carefully on top. It is well tailored--Nami had to guess, but is certain the size is right--made of a very durable material to help it withstand Sanji's regular entry into combat, and matches his beloved dress shoes and weapons both.

Sanji is ecstatic, and thanks her profusely, attempting to throw himself at her in what may possibly be a wild hug, or maybe a little more than that--with Sanji, it is sometimes hard to tell, as Sanji blurs the line between gentleman and lech with with surprising skill. Nami deflects the move neatly, and as she hurries toward her cabin she throws over her shoulder, "Don't be _that_ enthusiastic. I didn't shop at the best place on the island, and it isn't the most expensive material either, so it's not that great."

Sanji probably knows this. He also probably knows that even without shopping in the most expensive locations the gift still cost a pretty penny, and he _certainly_ knows how tight-fisted she is with her beri. So Sanji knows the real worth of the gift, and is probably more excited that she allowed him to see a different side of _her_ than anything else.

But that's okay to Nami, because a little surprise is worth it, and Sanji deserves it after displaying such a personal part of himself today. So she accepts the thanks, listens to Sanji's singsong _mellorine_ absently, and wonders what other surprises her shipmates will have in store for her in the future.

* * *

I actually looked up how to choose suits for the entire two sentences describing the gift at the end. Clearly this means I have no life.

I don't think Nami actually knows Sanji's backstory, which partly inspired this piece. She left the Baratie before Sanji's story was explained, and while he would probably tell her the entire thing if she asked, I doubt she would casually. So I'm not entirely sure if she knows his starvation story, but for the purpose of this fic, she doesn't.

If you review, kindly leave something of substance--constructive criticism is very helpful!


	2. Sanji

**Surprises**

A fanfiction addition by Velkyn Karma

**Note: **I'm on the final stretch for writing a big fic...it's so close to done now, yay! In the meantime...I...I found this in my story folder the other day. Apparently I wrote it while I was working on _Mindshattered. _And then I forgot about it. Oops. But it's still relatively decent so you can have it!

**The Original Note**: People wanted more of these. So uh...I wrote another. 'Cause why not, right? I just needed to come up with an idea is all. But don't expect these to update on a regular basis, only when the inspiration hits.

**Summary:** It's Sanji's turn to be surprised by a crew mate. Set pre-Grand Line.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.

* * *

Sanji hasn't been with the crew for long, barely more than a week, when he makes his unexpected discovery.

In the aftermath of the Arlong incident, and the wonderful Nami-san's re-introduction to the crew (and himself, of course), things are quiet as they sail towards the Grand Line. As quiet as this crew gets, anyway, Sanji admits to himself, but that's fine for him; it gives him time to figure out this crew's eating habits and nutritional needs before they're really in a dangerous situation. Cooking for a crew is a little different than cooking in a restaurant, after all. There, people order specifically what they want, and leave. Here, Sanji is responsible for everything nutrition related, and has to plan his meals accordingly.

But he's still not sure what _is_ needed yet, which means the first week or two is bound to be little more than experimentation while cooking standard (but still exceptional) meals for the crew. Nobody complains (he's that good at what he does) and everyone seems to enjoy his meals. He's already learned a few things about each of them and adjusted accordingly; who pokes which vegetable around until he forces them to eat it, which ones guzzle _far_ more liquor than is probably good for their liver (_marimo_), which foods cause not just generic 'good' reactions but genuinely cause their faces to light up.

He thinks he's starting to get it all figured out, which is why he's damn surprised when, a week later, _Usopp_ of all people catches him by surprise.

They've stopped at an island to restock on supplies, and Sanji makes a delightful discovery: this island is well-known for its stock of excellent shellfish. They have shrimps, lobsters, clams, the works, and Sanji recognizes their quality instantly, because even the crap-geezer used to buy from them when a special seafood dish was in the works. Sanji does not hesitate to make his purchase (he's quite partial to seafood himself) and that night he serves a variety of shellfish dishes. Luffy inhales it; marimo doesn't seem to notice the food either; Nami-san tells him he's done a good job, which sets his heart all aflutter. Usopp looks nervous and pokes it around on his plate for a bit, which Sanji takes notice of, but considering they were discussing marine activity in the area at the time Sanji is hardly surprised their sniper is having another fit of panic. He hasn't known the kid for long, and yet he already knows Usopp is a harmless liar and a bit of a coward. He ignores it for a bit, but when everyone else is done and Usopp still hasn't finished he chastises their sniper about wasting food and warns him to eat it all, and Usopp, with a little squeak of nerves, does as he's told.

Sanji thinks nothing more of it.

That is, at least, until everyone turns in early a few hours later. Sanji is on first watch, and paces the deck absently smoking, not expecting anything terribly eventful to happen tonight; this port is calm, and there are no hunters. Which is why he is more than a little shocked to spot Usopp clambering suddenly up the ladder from the mens' quarters, only to stumble to the side of the _Merry_ and start losing the contents of his stomach.

Sanji is more than a little perplexed by this. He doubts Usopp has a hangover, because while Usopp does sometimes drink alcohol he's never been a terribly _heavy_ drinker like the marimo or even Nami-san. And anyway, he hadn't had anything but water at dinner.

He dutifully trots over to see if the sniper is okay, thinking maybe he's gotten a stomach bug (pesky little bastards). But when he inquires he is a little surprised to find that Usopp actually squeaks and shrinks away from him by half an inch before turning back to the rail and throwing up again.

Sanji winces and turns away, not really wanting to see the undigested remains of his poor seafood dinner gone to waste.

Then something in his brain clicks, and he manages to—bewilderingly—put two and to together. "Usopp," he says, raising his one visible eyebrow in surprise, "You're not allergic to shellfish, are you?"

Usopp gives him a pathetic look, and seems to cringe. "I th-think so," he says, rather shakily. The _Merry_ gives a tiny swell underfoot, and he groans and leans forward over the rail again, ready to empty his stomach once more.

Sanji can't help but blink at this. Allergies are a rather foreign thing to him, he admits to himself honestly. He's never had any food allergies. Neither had the crap-geezer, or any of the cooks on the Baratie. He supposes it's a cook thing. It's rather hard to taste-test one's work when one can't eat it, after all.

He's never encountered any allergy problems with their clientele, either. But then, Sanji supposes, most of the customers were probably smart enough to order foods they could actually eat, and he's only ever cooked the foods those customers requested.

Not so on the _Merry_. Here, as a Straw Hat, _he_ was the one that decided what the others ate, and he hated seeing food wasted. With a jolt of surprise that _may_ possibly have had a little guilt in it as well, Sanji realizes that Usopp had been reluctant to eat the shellfish dinner to begin with, and he made him eat it anyway.

Oops.

But it wasn't entirely his fault, he decides, and says defensively, "If you're allergic to them, why did you eat them?"

"You t-told me to," Usopp says. "And you're k-kinda scary when it comes to f-food, Sanji." His voice is still shaky, and his body is trembling from post-vomiting stress, but he seems to have stopped throwing up at least.

Sanji is a little hurt by this. "I'm not going to make you eat something if it makes you _sick_, Usopp," he says, and pointedly adds, "It all went to waste in the end anyway," and jerks his head in the general direction of over-the-rail.

Usopp winces at this and seems to shrink a little further into himself. "But, Sanji," he says, and he definitely sounds nervous now, "the first time we ever even _saw_ you, you beat a _marine lieutenant_ bloody because he wasted a little soup. I had a full _plate_ of food." And at Sanji's disgruntled expression he adds hastily, "B-besides, I wasn't, y'know, totally sure if it _was_ the shellfish, I got sick twice before after eating it back home but it could've been something else, and I didn't want to make you mad..." and he trails off with another squeak.

Sanji sighs in exasperation and chucks his only half-finished cigarette over the edge of the ship into the ocean, because he's not really enjoying it anymore. Usopp looks _very_ nervous now, like he's considering whether or not he ought to run.

Sanji is still more than a little offended by this. He supposes that he _is_ still the new guy, though, and Usopp has seen him even less than the others since he left the Baratie earlier. In fact, Sanji realizes, most of what Usopp _has_ seen of him has consisted so far of him beating the shit out of people that made him mad, and his continual spats with the marimo probably don't help either, so he guesses he's not making a terribly good impression of himself.

So he sighs, and says, "Look, Usopp. I don't like it when people waste food, because food is vital to living, so it's disrespectful and wrong to treat it like it's expendable. But that doesn't mean I'm going to force you to eat a meal that's going to make you sick." He looks the sniper squarely in the eye and finishes with, "If you thought you might be allergic to it, you should've just told me. I'm sure one of the others would've been more than willing to clear your plate for you." Which mostly meant Luffy, but they didn't really need to say that, since they both already knew it.

Usopp looks chastened, and hangs his head. "Sorry...I didn't think...I just didn't want you to get angry at me—"

"That's another thing," Sanji adds. "You're my _friend_, Usopp. I'm not going to beat you bloody and senseless over dinner. I'd probably be pissed if you refused to eat for no reason, but that doesn't mean I'll _really_ attack you over it."

"You attack Zoro all the time for silly things," Usopp counters, but he looks a little sheepish now.

Sanji rolls his eyes. "Marimo always starts it. And anyway, I'd never actually beat him to near death, Luffy'd be upset with me if I did." And at Usopp's wide-eyed expression, he adds, "I'm kidding, geez! Marimo is nakama too, even if he's a lazy, stupid, shitty swordsman."

"Sorry," Usopp mutters again.

Sanji waves a hand, as if waving off the apology. "It's party my fault too, you know. I've been with the restaurant so long I didn't even think to check if anyone had specific food allergies. I'll have to be more careful in the future." He considers, then asks, "Any others?"

"Huh?"

"Allergies. For you. That you know about. While you're here." He gestures absently.

"Um...no, I don't think so, none that I can remember." And then he offers another sheepish grin. "But I won't be afraid to tell you next time, if I do remember anything."

"Good," Sanji says, and promptly drags the sniper into his small (but _his_) galley to make him some tea to calm his stomach.

True to his word, Usopp is far less nervous at dinners after that. And every time Sanji prepares a dinner of shrimps, lobsters, or clams for the crew, he always prepares something smaller for Usopp alone, so he can have dinner with the crew without endangering his stomach.

When Luffy asks, pouting, why the sniper gets special treatment, Sanji and Usopp usually exchange glances before the cook puts foot through his captain's face.

* * *

Partly inspired by food mishaps of my own. I used to be able to eat shrimp all the time and loved it. Then I developed an unexpected food allergy to it, and get sick every time I have anything shellfish-based now. Funnily enough, while I loathe the taste of fish, I can still eat that with no problems.

(I realize Usopp is probably not actually allergic to shellfish, but it was an interesting thought for me all the same).

Also inspired by my crazy family, which had the _you will clean everything off your plate so help me God_ attitude, and there are just some days when forcing yourself to eat a full meal is like _torture_. But you do it, 'cause your parents are scarier. Or in this case Sanji, who is fully capable of breaking your neck in about two seconds if you piss him off. I'd be terrified of him too if I was a guy!

~VelkynKarma


	3. Usopp

**Surprises**

A fanfiction addition by Velkyn Karma

**Note: **Getting back into the swing of writing. It feels good!

**The Original Note**: Been wanting to continue this idea for a while, so here's another one!

**Summary:** It's Usopp's turn to learn a thing or two about a crew mate. Set pre-Brook, shortly after Franky joins.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.

* * *

Usopp ducks hastily through one of the doorways to the lower decks of the _Thousand Sunny,_ and slams the heavy Adam Wood door behind him as fast as he can. He's just in time; with an enraged screech of _"Damn shit swordsman!"_ something crashes into the space where Usopp had been standing seconds before, rattling even the sturdy door alarmingly on its hinges. It creaks as something pushes off of it seconds later, and the retaliatory _"Crap cook!"_ just on the other side is enough to suggest what.

Usopp sighs in irritation, and crossing his arms in a huff, he shouts through the door, "Will you guys just knock it off! This is getting ridiculous!" But rings of steel and flurries of thuds are the only sounds to answer him, ranging all over the deck on the other side of the door and getting faster by the second. Zoro and Sanji are _really_ going at it today; perhaps, Usopp thinks, it's for the better that neither of them heard him.

Still muttering under his breath, Usopp finally decides to head to his workshop, since the deck will probably be inaccessible for some time; Nami is on the other side of the ship, and she's the only one that can stop those two fighting when they go all-out like this. Stupid Zoro and stupid Sanji, ruining a perfectly good game of tag with their stupid fights...

Franky is in the workshop on his side when Usopp enters, busily hammering a large sheet of metal into shape it for some project or other of his. He looks up and greets Usopp with an enthusiastic "_Ow!_ Longnose, what's up? Got a new _super_ idea for the workshop?"

"Hey, Franky," Usopp returns absently. In truth he doesn't have any particularly amazing ideas for things to build, and he's too irritated with the umpteenth interruption of his fun by Zoro and Sanji's crazy fights to come up with anything. So he pokes at the tools and supplies in his workshop with a frown on his face, being entirely unproductive.

Franky notices his aimless wandering about the workshop, because the ring of steel on steel halts as he stops hammering, and the cyborg asks, "Alright, what's wrong, Usopp?"

Usopp blinks in surprise at this—he's so used to being called _longnose_ now that hearing Franky say his actual name is a bit odd—and it prompts him to turn and say, "Zoro and Sanji are fighting _again_ up on deck. They nearly dragged me into it this time—only the legendary speed of the great Captain Usopp allowed me to escape without my face getting pounded in!"

Franky frowns immediately and growls, "They're not breaking my ship, are they?" His enormous hands tighten on the hammer and sheet of metal, like he's seriously considering going up and joining the fray.

"No, at least, I don't think so," Usopp hastily reassures (Franky can be just as scary as Luffy and Zoro and Sanji when he gets mad). "The door held and they're mostly fighting in the middle of the deck."

Then he adds in frustration, "But it's annoying that they're fighting again at _all!_ I mean, how many times do they have to fight to figure out they're never actually gonna beat each other? It's like they're seriously trying to off each other every time they go at it, and they ruin things for everybody else every time they start pulling that crap!"

He crosses his hands in a huff again, on a roll now. "I get that they don't _like_ each other, and I mean, they haven't really liked each other since we first met Sanji on the Baratie, so okay, when they fought back then all the time it made _sense._ But it's been _months_ now, and we've all been through so much together and saved each other tons of times and everything. You'd think they'd learn to get along by now, but no! At this rate I don't think they'll _ever_ get along unless we've got some other enemy trying to kill us. And half the time they _still_ fight over who gets to beat which enemy and why! I swear, half the time I think the only reason they _haven't_ killed each other by now is because it'd make Luffy mad if they did!" He finishes his rant by throwing his hands theatrically up in the air in frustration and panting hard, although admittedly it does feel nice to get that stuff off his chest.

Usopp expects sympathetic nodding or an enthusiastic _ow_ of agreement, or maybe just bored indifference as Franky dutifully listens and little else. What he _doesn't_ expect is for his rant to be met by laughter as the cyborg throws his head back and slaps the metal sheet in front of him in amusement.

"Hey, this is serious here, I really did almost get pounded, and it really _is_ getting to be a problem!" Usopp protests, with more than a little anger in his tone. Franky's been a good friend ever since he joined the crew a few weeks back, after all. The two are frequently of like mind, and Usopp sort of expected to get at least a _little_ sympathy from him, especially since Franky's been more than a little irritated with the raging fights damaging his ship as well.

"Sorry, Longnose," Franky says (he does appear to mean it, at least), as his laughter finally slows. "You don't gotta worry about Sword-bro and Curly-cook, though. They're not secretly out to kill each other or anything, regardless of what Luffy thinks."

He sounds so confident in this statement that Usopp can't help but pause and think about it for a moment, before he finally asks, "Are you _sure?_ 'Cause they're going at it pretty crazy right now up on deck..."

"I'm sure," Franky says, still smirking. "They're just young, that's all. Ten years from now they'll be best friends."

Usopp gives him an incredulous look, because the words just don't make _sense._ For starters, both Zoro and Sanji are hardly young; they're both older than Usopp is, and until Robin and Franky joined the crew Zoro had even been the oldest member. And for another thing, the very thought of Zoro and Sanji being _best friends_ is almost more terrifying than the thought of being caught in the middle of their battle up on deck. He tries to envision them getting along so well (his mind conjures images of their faces superimposed over Johnny and Yosaku), and shudders at the results.

"You can't be serious," the sniper finally says, giving Franky a skeptical look.

"Sure I am!" Franky says enthusiastically. "Those two bros sorta remind me of me'n Iceberg when we were younger." His grin shifts from amusement to fondness, and he says in a reminiscing tone, "Man, me'n Bakaberg, we'd really go at it when we pissed each other off. Which was pretty much always. Always trying to kick me off Tom's Workers 'cause he didn't like me, and I always figured he was an idiot without any imagination. This one time I accidentally blew up the mast he'd been working on all day for an order with one of my canon prototypes—oh man, he chased me all over Water Seven for _hours_ threatening to throw me to the Sea Kings. _Ow!_ I don't even know how I got out of that one, he had longer legs than me at the time since I was still kinda small. Or, oh man, this other time he threw out all my speedos and replaced them all with pants. _Not_ super, I was ready to kill him over that one. We nearly wrecked the house with that fight—of course, that was before my cyborg implants, otherwise we might've _actually_ wrecked the place. Oh yeah, and once when we were building the sea train—"

Usopp listens with growing incredulity as Franky lists a number of tales from twenty years or more ago, long before he was even _born_. The bickering, fighting, and destruction from the stories do sound incredibly familiar, not unlike his own current crew mates. But it's hard to equate it to Franky, who can be excitable and _very_ dangerous in a fight, but tends not to get too violently rowdy on the _Sunny_, mindful of the potential extreme destruction he could cause to both crew and ship alike. He does briefly consider all of the havoc Franky caused on Water Seven, and the grief he caused Iceberg with his Franky Family's exploits. But just as quickly he remembers that most of that had been intentional, setting up a deliberate rift between the two so that no onlookers would suspect where the ancient weapon's blueprints were _really_ at. Franky can be a troublemaker, and has proven it in the past, but he's never done it to this extent as far as Usopp has seen.

Even more difficult to accept is_ Iceberg_. After all, when they'd met the mayor of Water Seven, he'd been laid back and relaxed to the point of laziness, frequently canceling his appointments and meetings simply because he 'didn't want to.' Iceberg hadn't been fazed by the fights that frequently broke out amongst his own shipwrights, and even the whole fiasco with Robin hadn't riled him up so much as focused him further on figuring out just what was going on. Calm, rational Iceberg, acting as wild and uncontrollable as Zoro or Sanji? It just doesn't make _sense._

"—but now we get along _super_ well, see?" Franky finishes his reminiscing. "So, sword-bro and curly-cook just need a little more time to get older, that's all."

Usopp carefully considers this. Bewilderingly enough, Franky has a point. He hadn't seen Franky and Iceberg together too much while they were on Water Seven, since the both of them had been working on their super-secret project that turned out to be the _Sunny,_ and none of the Straw Hats had been allowed near it. And Usopp had seen even less of them than the others, since he'd still been masquerading as Sogeking at the time due to being off the crew. But in the moments he _had_ seen Franky and Iceberg together, they had gotten along surprisingly well. They'd still sniped back and forth with occasional sarcastic quips and snarky responses, but it had seemed good natured and relaxed, like brothers—not even remotely close to the violent back-and-forth spats and insults Zoro and Sanji share.

But if Franky and Iceberg had bickered so violently just ten years previous...then maybe Franky has a point? Slowly, Usopp closes his eyes, and tries to envision a younger, much less metal-stuffed Franky and a much more violent Iceberg going at it like Zoro and Sanji, but it's difficult to manage. He tries to envision his own two crew mates next, older and much less high-strung, like Iceberg, but that's even more impossible to imagine.

Usopp finally gives up, shakes his head, and says, "I don't know, Franky, I just can't see it. I don't think those two will ever stop fighting, they've been at each others' throats since the moment we found Sanji on the _Baratie_ months ago. If it hasn't changed in all the months we've been adventuring together, why should a few more years make a difference?"

Franky just grins knowingly, and says, "_Ow!_ It'll happen, Longnose. You can trust me on that!"

Usopp isn't _quite_ sure he believes it, still, but Franky sounds so confident and knowing in the matter it's hard to argue. Despite the _ows_ and the _supers_ and the enthusiasm, Franky's reminiscing and confidence sounds an awful lot like what Usopp imagines a father might sound like, if he was telling his kids stories or giving them advice.

With a start, Usopp realizes—_really_ realizes—that Franky is twice the age of half the crew, and has already been through more happiness and heartache than Usopp can possibly imagine, before Usopp was even a thought in the world. It's hard to remember, sometimes, with Franky's exuberance and bizarre habits and his absolute aversion to anything resembling pants, but he _is_ an experienced adult, and _does_ have those moments of wisdom and understanding, even if most of the time he doesn't show it. He's seen more of people and the world than Usopp has, so while Usopp has a hard time believing the cyborg, maybe Franky _does_ have a point, and does understand the situation better than Usopp does or ever will.

He might, in fact, actually know what he's talking about for a _lot_ more than just building ships and artillery and cola and turning people into mechanical machines of pure destruction.

Franky doesn't seem to realize Usopp has come to any sort of revelation about him, and has already cheerfully gone back to hammering out his sheet of metal, apparently considering the issue resolved. To Usopp's surprise, he actually _does_ feel a little more reassured on the matter, and less inclined to feel frustrated and angry at his volatile crew mates. He's not sure how Franky picked up on that so fast, but maybe he can chock that up to yet another case of Franky actually being far older than he usually acts, and understanding more about his 'little bros' than he tends to let on.

Feeling a little more like creating something now, Usopp starts collecting a few tools around his workshop and sits down to invent something. Above he can hear the _thud-bangs_ and muffled curses of Zoro and Sanji as they—miraculously—are _still_ in a heated fight, followed a short while later by Nami's high-pitched shriek as she finally has enough and decides to end it for them. _"Good,"_ Franky mutters, " 'cause normal or not, if they ruined my ship, I'd have to kick _their_ asses and teach'em a lesson. _Ow!_"

Usopp can't help but laugh a little at this. Now that he's made the comparison, it's sort of hard to tell if it sounds like an angry shipwright irritated by his hard work being destroyed, or an angry dad fed up with his irascible kids after they've misbehaved for the hundredth time.

He sets to work feeling much more relaxed, to the comfortable rhythmic tune of Franky's continual hammering, and considers the cyborg's words. Franky does sound like he knows what he's talking about, after all, so maybe all he really needs is patience to deal with Zoro and Sanji and their eternal bickering. Maybe one day they really _will_ grow out of their constant hot-headed aggression, some day in the future. And by then maybe Usopp will have grown out of his irritation with it, and be used to the changes too.

And if ten years felt like too long a wait, well...he didn't really have to worry about that. After all, he had a friend that had been through it all already to rely on, and in that light things didn't really seem all that bad.

* * *

I've always been intrigued by Oda listing Franky as the 'father' of the family, but he never really acts like an adult. I wanted to explore this sort of thing a little more, especially since Franky is a lot older than the rest of the crew and has already seen a lot of stuff in his life. Plus, y'know, what kid ever believes their parents when they're told nothing they're going through is new, and one day you'll get past it?

~VelkynKarma


	4. Franky

**Surprises**

A fanfiction addition by Velkyn Karma

**Note: **Found this sitting around on my computer from last year, of all things. I thought it'd be fitting to upload it on my birthday :)

**Summary:** It's Franky's turn to learn a thing or two about a crew-mate. Set shortly after Franky joins the crew, pre-Brook.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, or pretend to own, _One Piece_ or any of its subsequent characters, plots or other ideas. That right belongs solely to Eiichiro Oda. The only thing that belongs to me here is the concept for the story.

* * *

It was about two weeks since Franky and the _Thousand Sunny_ had joined the Straw Hat Pirates, and by now the cyborg was starting to feel pretty comfortable with the crew. He'd been with them through a lot of un-_super_ moments, so it was nice to spend time with them during the _super_ ones for once.

He was happy to see them getting used to the _Sunny_ too, although they were still in the stage that Franky, as the shipwright, found the most entertaining. He'd hidden plenty of little nooks and crannies around the ship, after all, and it was always fun to watch them exploring the place, figuring it out, learning the ins and outs of their new home. Some did better than others...he was pretty sure Nico Robin knew the whole ship back to front almost as well as he did by now, while sword-bro still got lost just walking across the deck half the time. But they'd get there eventually.

Today he wasn't entertaining himself watching the crew on his ship, though. Today he'd had a super idea for a new weapon—he'd already picked out a name for it, the _Super Franky Cannon_—which would utilize Longnose's great sniping skills while providing him with enough power to put down a Sea King. He trusted the Straw Hats with that sort of firepower after all—they wouldn't abuse it.

He was so excited about his newest invention that he rushed downstairs to his workshop right away to scribble up the blueprints and get started on the construction itself. He was feeling _especially_ productive this week, and if he worked hard he could have the _Super Franky Cannon_ ready to go in just a few days. Strawhat'd get a kick out of it! He sang to himself as he double-checked his design, collected his supplies, and laid out his tools.

The construction would be _big,_ and require a lot of sensitive fine-tuning, so as a final safety measure he flicked the red light above the doorway leading down to the workshop and factory on. He and Usopp had worked out a system only days after the _Sunny_ cast off: since both of them worked with sensitive and frequently dangerous equipment and materials, sometimes it was safer for others to stay out until they were finished. The red light above the doorway was a warning for nobody to come in until it was turned off, lest they risk being exploded with chemicals, squished with heavy piles of metal materials, or chopped up by the dangerous tools no doubt in use. Usopp would know right away not to bother coming down to work on something until Franky was finished. And if anybody else came looking for him, the single red light was a classic warning sign to stay out.

Enthusiastic, Franky set to work, and for a while he lost himself in his careful measuring, metal shearing, welding, and hammering. He didn't worry about paying attention to his surroundings or the door; nobody was here, and nobody was going to get underfoot or get hurt by his tools, so he could bury himself happily in his work. Things were going along just _super,_ and he'd finally managed to construct the barrel of the _Super Franky Cannon_ and was just about to start configuring it, when the door to the workshop burst open.

The door slammed into the _Super Franky Cannon's_ barrel, revealing Zoro, who blinked in confusion as he found the workshop staring back at him instead of whatever place he'd apparently been _attempting_ to get to. Franky looked up in alarm, and opened his mouth to ask just what the _hell_ sword-bro had been thinking, when the _Super Franky Cannon's_ barrel tilted alarmingly. It was propped up relatively safely enough on a few metal struts, but Zoro's massive strength combined with the heavy force of the door knocked it clean over. Franky yelled a warning as the barrel slammed into the ground, and, jarred by the sudden impact, discharged. Thankfully it wasn't loaded yet, but even so, the sound was enough to send both pirates' ears ringing, and the weapon jumped again as it fired, nearly crushing Zoro's foot under almost half a ton of steel.

Franky leapt forward hastily to snatch up the barrel and fasten it more securely to the metal struts, while Zoro blinked sleepily at him in confusion, and said slowly, "What the hell was _that?_"

Franky ignored him for the moment and checked the barrel over. It was a little dented, but nothing he couldn't hammer out, and the mechanics hadn't been damaged at all, thank goodness. He'd have to work on the calibrations though, after that. It'd be useless as a weapon if it was sensitive enough to fire from just a little jarring, and that'd definitely get somebody killed.

Inspection over, he looked up and glared at Zoro over his sunglasses, roaring, "What the _hell,_ bro? Didn't you see the warning? You coulda gotten yourself killed! Or lost a foot or something!"

"I didn't," sword-bro answered, gesturing with his fortunately-still-whole boot absently. "And I don't know what the hell you're talking about, either. I didn't see any signs or anything out there. I was just looking for the weight room after my nap."

That explained the sleepy expression, at least, but Franky wasn't finished with him just yet. He ignored the less pressing issue of Zoro being _completely_ opposite the crow's nest for the moment and yelled, "The light, bro! The warning light! The light that means _don't come in, dangerous stuff happening, enter at your own risk!_"

"I saw_ a_ light," Zoro said, sounding entirely unimpressed with Franky's angry shouting, "But a light's a light. When has it ever been anything else? How the hell am _I_ supposed to know it means something?"

Franky groaned and pressed one enormous palm to his face for a moment in frustration. Then he gestured at Zoro in exasperation, and yelled, "It was a _red light,_ bro. A _red-freaking-light._ You know, the universal symbol for _stop,_ everywhere? For construction, workshops, even _streets_ on some islands? There's no way you could possibly have missed it, it stands right out! I mean, what are you, blind?"

Zoro's eye started to twitch halfway through the angry lecture, and his arms crossed in a gesture of stubbornness. By the end he was showing teeth, and as Franky finished Zoro finally snapped back, "_Yes,_ actually! I'm _colorblind!_"

Franky froze in the act of getting ready to yell back, and his jaw dropped in surprise. Sword-bro? _Colorblind?_ It had to be a joke, right?

But Zoro wasn't laughing, just stood there looking annoyed with his arms still crossed, and although Franky hadn't been around long he had never known Zoro to tell jokes anyway. Which meant it had to be _true._ Which meant Franky had just _yelled_ at him for _being blind._

He felt the tears burning at his eyes all of a sudden, and brought his meaty arm up to his face to block it hastily, starting to sob. "_Waaah_...I'm so sorry, sword-bro! I didn't realize! I didn't mean to yell at you or make you feel bad or anything! A world without color, that's so _not_ super...b-but I'm totally not crying! N-no way!"

"No, look, it's really fine," Zoro said in exasperation, expression now a grimace as he was forced to deal with Franky's totally-not-crying. "I don't care. No feelings hurt. Besides, it's not like I can't see _any_ color."

Franky managed to get the sand out of his eyes (it was totally just sand, he was _not_ crying), and crossed his arms, blinking down at sword-bro curiously. "So...you don't just see things in all gray?" Franky was glad for that. He'd tried envisioning seeing the world _only_ in shades of gray just now, and nothing about it was super at all. He wouldn't be able to see his favorite bright, loud shirts in all their glory, or know exactly how warm the _Sunny's_ coat of paint looked, or see his own handsome blue hair. If he couldn't appreciate any of that, he'd feel especially unhappy, and for way more than just a week.

"No," Zoro confirmed, looking a little relieved now that Franky had quieted some. "I can see some colors, they're just not as bright. But there are a few that I can't see at all, or they get mixed up. When I was a kid one of the doctors told me I had red-green colorblindness. They both look the same to me...I guess to everybody else what I see would count as 'brown.' And some things that have red or green in'em are hard to make out, too." He shrugged.

"So you can't see red or green," Franky repeated thoughtfully. "Or colors with red or green mixed in. Oh—no wonder you didn't stop at the light then!" He shook his head. "It's really bright and all, but if you can't see the color, then I guess it _is_ just a light."

Zoro merely shrugged. "Sorry. Didn't mean to knock your thing over, whatever it is. Put up a sign or something next time."

"Naw, it's fine, sword-bro!" Franky said, his good cheer returned. He swept into one of his classic poses excitably, and added, "I'll remember that next time!"

Then a thought occurred to him, and dropping out of his pose he gave Zoro a sidelong look and said slowly, "Wait a sec. So...if you can't see red _or_ green, bro..."

Zoro rolled his eyes, and said with a long-suffering sigh and every indication that he'd answered the same question a million times before, "_No,_ I can't see that my hair is green, either. Far as _I_ can see, it's light brown...almost blond."

Franky couldn't help but smirk at this, and was treated to a furious glare from the swordsman. Then he asked, "But if you can't see it, then how the hell do you know it's actually green?"

"Well if I didn't know _before_ I sure as fuck know _now,_" Sword-bro said with a scowl, and glared upwards at the ceiling, probably in what he thought was the direction of the galley. Franky barely kept himself from laughing, both at the terrible sense of direction and at the implications of curly-cook's nicknames driving the point home.

"But I didn't know for a while," Zoro added, a little more calmly, after a moment or two. "I figured everybody giving me stupid nicknames whenever I beat a kid at the dojo or turned in a bounty were just assholes. But after a while I got tired of all the plant nicknames and asked somebody and...well _that_ was a weird conversation, to say the least." He shook his head in exasperation.

"I'll bet," Franky said sympathetically. "It's gotta be tough, not seeing color right..." He valiantly fought back a sniffle.

Zoro shrugged. "Never known anything different, so it doesn't really bother me," he said offhandedly, and he really didn't seem to have a problem with it at all. "Sometimes it's annoying when people point things out by color, or things look like they're blended together when they apparently _aren't_ the same. But sight's not the only sense I rely on, so I don't really care." And he placed a hand affectionately on the hilt of the white sword slung at his hip. Franky didn't doubt him for a second—sword-bro _always_ seemed to know where things or people were in times of crisis, and he was always prepared when danger struck.

"All the same, I'll remember for next time, bro," Franky promised. "Me'n Longnose'll whip up some signs in the future so there'll be more than just the light."

"Thanks."

Franky helpfully led the completely lost swordsman up to the decks so he could get back to his weight-training in peace, and then headed back for his own workshop. He scribbled a warning note on a piece of paper and stuck it on the door for now, although he'd be sure to have Longnose make some fancier, more durable ones later.

Then he set back to work, a little more thoughtful. Being on this crew was _definitely_ going to be interesting, if today was any indication. He wondered what other little surprises his new family had in store for him. Whatever they were, he definitely looked forward to learning them.

* * *

I've always been intrigued by Zoro's apparent lack of care regarding his hair color (other than obvious spats with people for green-related nicknames anyway). I remember playing with the idea that maybe he just genuinely doesn't know it's _green_ (or just thinks it's not weird). When added to the fact that many of my male acquaintances are color-blind, this seemed to be the inevitable result.

How y'all doin'? Still hanging in there?

~VelkynKarma


End file.
